Diverging light from fiber optics illumination delivery systems

ABSTRACT

An illumination fiber optics is provided that includes an optical fiber, configured to receive illumination light at a proximal end from a light source; and a light-scattering element, at a distal end of the optical fiber, configured to receive the illumination light from the optical fiber at a proximal end and to emit the illumination light at a distal end in a wide angle. The illumination fiber optics can be prepared by providing an optical fiber, configured to receive illumination light at a proximal end from a light source; and creating a light-scattering element at a distal end of the optical fiber, configured to receive the illumination light from the optical fiber at a proximal end and to emit the illumination light at a distal end in a wide angle.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This patent document is related to fiber optics illuminators. In moredetail, this patent document is related to thin fiber opticsilluminators with a wide light emission angle.

BACKGROUND

During ophthalmic surgery in the posterior region, such as duringvitreo-retinal surgical procedures, illuminating the surgical region isa high priority. The illuminators need to have a small diameter so thata small incision is sufficient for their insertion. At the same time,they need to emit the illumination light in as wide an angle as possibleto illuminate the largest possible area. The angle of emission iscontrolled by the numerical aperture and thus the diameter of thefibers. In general, achieving wider emission angles necessitates thickerfibers. These two design criteria of small fiber diameters and largeillumination angles are therefore in direct competition with each other,making achieving a good design optimum a genuine challenge.

Some existing illuminators increase the illumination angle by taperingthe optical fiber to a smaller diameter towards the tip. Analyzing thelight rays shows that such fiber optic illuminators can emit the lightrays with larger angles compared to the angles the numerical aperture ofthe fiber would naturally support. The tapering of the fibers istypically performed thermally, mechanically, or chemically.

However, the performance of these tapered fiber illuminators turns outto be quite sensitive to manufacturing the fibers with precisely theright taper angle. Adhering to this low tolerance is a substantialmanufacturing challenge. Further, achieving the higher angulardivergence also poses tight design requirements on the refractive indexof the fiber core and the cladding.

Other illuminators are fabricated by modifying the tip of the opticalfiber by mechanical, irradiative or chemical processes. However, topreserve the integrity of the fibers during these often forcefulfabrication steps, these fibers typically have to be encased in amanufacturing sheath, or jacket, for support. This requirement typicallycomplicates the manufacturing and makes it more expensive.

Further, in today's surgical practice, the surgeon typically holds aphaco-tip in one hand and a vitreous cutter in the other, both enteredinto the eye via dedicated incisions. Therefore, an additional, highlytrained nurse or junior medical professional is needed to hold theilluminator, inserted through a third incision. If the illuminator couldbe integrated with one of the other surgical devices, that couldeliminate the need for a third hand, making the surgical proceduretwo-handed, or bi-manual, performable by the surgeon alone. Reducing thenumber of surgical professionals needed for these ophthalmic procedureswould have numerous advantages.

Also, needing fewer incisions would reduce the deformation andstructural weakening of the eye caused by the incisions of theophthalmic surgery.

With today's illuminators it is not easy to satisfy the above needs, asthey often use fibers that are thicker, such as having a fiber diameterin excess of 500 microns. Moreover, they often have a jacket, or sheath,for strength. If such a thick illuminator were somehow affixed to one ofthe other surgical devices, that would increase the diameter, or formfactor, of that integrated device substantially, thus increasing thesize of the incision necessary for its insertion, to undesirable levels.

Therefore, there is a need for illuminators that have small diameters,yet can emit illuminating light into a wide angle; do not require asheath or jacket for their manufacture; and can be integrated withanother surgical device without increasing the form factor of thedevice, thus also reducing the number of incisions necessary for theophthalmic surgical procedure, as well as the number of hands and thusthe number of professionals needed for ophthalmic surgery.

SUMMARY

Embodiments in this patent document address the above challenges byintroducing an illumination fiber optics, comprising: an optical fiber,configured to receive illumination light at a proximal end from a lightsource; and a light-scattering element, at a distal end of the opticalfiber, configured to receive the illumination light from the opticalfiber at a proximal end and to emit the illumination light at a distalend in a wide angle.

In some embodiments, an illumination fiber optics for an ophthalmicdevice is prepared by a process comprising the steps of: providing anoptical fiber, configured to receive illumination light at a proximalend from a light source; and creating a light-scattering element at adistal end of the optical fiber, configured to receive the illuminationlight from the optical fiber at a proximal end and to emit theillumination light at a distal end in a wide angle.

In some embodiments, a process can comprise the steps of: providing amicro-post comprising a glass-ceramic light-scattering element thatincludes at least one of a ceramic, a glass ceramic, an immiscibleglass, a porous glass, opal glass, amorphous glass, an aerated glass,and a nanostructured glass; and fusion-splicing the glass-ceramicmicro-post to the optical fiber by pulling an arc between electrodesacross a gap formed by the optical fiber and the glass-ceramicmicro-post; maintaining the arc for a time sufficiently long to makefacing surfaces of the optical fiber and the micro-post one of malleableand molten; and pushing and thereby fusing together the facing surfacesof the optical fiber and the micro-post. Some embodiments can includefusing the glass-ceramic micro-post to the optical fiber by applying alaser beam to heat up at least one of the facing surfaces of the opticalfiber and the glass-ceramic micro-post.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates a process of making existing fiber optics.

FIG. 2 illustrates a process of making embodiments of fiber optics 100.

FIGS. 3A-B illustrate a fiber optics 100 and a surgical device.

FIG. 4 illustrates a process 200 of making the fiber optics 100.

FIGS. 5A-D illustrate a process 300 of making the fiber optics 100.

FIG. 6 illustrates the process 300 of making the fiber optics 100.

FIGS. 7A-D illustrate processes 400/450 of making the fiber optics 100.

FIGS. 8A-B illustrate the processes 400/450 of making the fiber optics100.

FIGS. 9A-D illustrate a process 500 of making the fiber optics 100.

FIG. 10 illustrates the process 500 of making the fiber optics 100.

FIGS. 11A-C illustrate a process 600 of making the fiber optics 100.

FIG. 12 illustrates the process 600 of making the fiber optics 100.

FIGS. 13A-B illustrate a process 700 of making the fiber optics 100.

FIG. 14 illustrates the process 700 of making the fiber optics 100.

FIGS. 15A-B illustrate a process 800 of making the fiber optics 100.

FIG. 16 illustrates the process 800 of making the fiber optics 100.

FIGS. 17A-D illustrate a process 900 of making the fiber optics 100.

FIG. 18 illustrates the process 900 of making the fiber optics 100.

FIGS. 19A-F illustrate a process 1000 of making the fiber optics 100.

FIG. 20 illustrates the process 1000 of making the fiber optics 100.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Embodiments described herein address the above needs and challenges byintroducing the following advantageous aspects.

(a) In embodiments, the fiber optics is fabricated using an unusuallysmall diameter optical fiber. Instead of tapering the fiber, alight-scattering element is formed at the distal end of the opticalfiber.

(b) With the fabrication processes described herein, no jacket or sheathis required to support the individual fiber optics, not even for itsmanufacturing process. This makes the fabrication simpler and thereforecheaper.

(c) The small diameter of the fiber optics and the lack of a jacket orsheath makes it also possible to integrate the fiber optics with a widevariety of surgical devices to provide illumination for the surgicalprocedure without increasing the device's form factor, or effectivediameter. Such “self-illuminating” surgical devices eliminate the needto cut the presently customary separate third incision for the surgicalillumination source. Fewer incisions advantageously reduce thedeformation and structural weakening of the eye caused by the ophthalmicsurgery.

(d) These self-illuminating devices also reduce the number of handsrequired to hold the surgical instruments. Surgeries that normallyrequire three hands and thus a highly trained nurse or junior doctornext to the lead surgeon to hold all the implements, can be transformedfrom a three-hand procedure to a two-hands, or bi-manual, procedure bythe here-described self-illuminating surgical devices. This means thatthe need for the second surgical staff member can be advantageouslyeliminated by using the here-described devices.

(e) The here-presented designs and processes reduce the sensitivity tothe precision of the fiber fabrication, such as the critical sensitivityof the presently widely used tapering of the fiber, since thehere-presented designs form a separate light-scattering element at thedistal end of the fiber. In general, less sensitive designs reduce costsand increase yields.

FIG. 1 illustrates a process of making existing fiber optics withpresently accepted procedures. The fiber optics 10 can include anoptical fiber 11 and a light-scattering element 12 at its distal end.Typically, the individual fiber optics 10 is supported by a jacket 13,or sheath, to provide stability and structural strength for the fiberoptics 10. This jacket is especially useful for the fabrication process,as the formation of the light-scattering element 12 with mechanical orchemical means, or with the application of high-power lasers cande-stabilize, crack or even disintegrate the fiber 11.

The facts that existing fiber optics 10 often have a diameter in excessof 500 microns, and that they require a jacket, at least for thefabrication, makes these existing fiber optics 10 thick, with asubstantial outer diameter (“OD”). Therefore, attaching them to asurgical device would increase the form factor, or effective diameter,of this surgical device. This would require cutting an undesirablylarger incision. Therefore, reducing the diameter of the illuminationfiber optics is a high-priority need for surgical applications.

FIG. 2 shows embodiments of an illumination fiber optics 100 that has asubstantially smaller diameter than existing systems. Fiber optics 100can include a an optical fiber 110, or simply fiber 110, configured toreceive illumination light at a proximal end from a light source, and alight-scattering element 120, formed at a distal end of the fiber 110.The light-scattering element 120 can be formed separately and thenaffixed to the optical fiber 110. In other embodiments, thelight-scattering element 120 can be formed directly at, on, or in thedistal end of the fiber 110. The light-scattering element 120 can beconfigured to receive the illumination light from the fiber 110 at itsproximal end and to emit the illumination light at its distal end in awide angle.

The outer diameter D of the fiber optics 100 can be less than 500microns. In some embodiments, the outer diameter D can be less than 150microns. In yet other embodiments, the outer diameter D can be less than50 microns.

In some embodiments, the fiber optics 100 can be tapered: it can have anouter diameter less than 50 microns at a distal end, and an outerdiameter greater than 50 microns at a proximal end.

In some embodiments, a proximal diameter of the light-scattering element120 can less, equal or greater than a distal diameter of the opticalfiber 110.

Finally, when the fiber optics 100 is fabricated with the here-describedprocesses, the optical fiber 110 and the light-scattering element 120can be manufactured without using a manufacturing jacket 130.

FIGS. 3A-B illustrate that embodiments of these small-diameter fiberoptics 100 can be attached to an ophthalmic surgical device 140. In FIG.3A, the ophthalmic surgical device 140 can have an accommodating notch141 formed on a side and the fiber optics 100 can be attached to thesurgical device 140 along this notch 141, in an aligned manner. With theformation of the accommodating notch 141, the unusually small fiberdiameter and the lack of a jacket for the fiber optics 100, attachingthe fiber optics 100 to the surgical device 140 has the ability not toincrease the overall form factor, cross section, or outer diameter 142of the surgical device 140. For example, an ophthalmic surgical device140 having an outer diameter thinner than 23 gauge (i.e. having a largergauge) can retain its gauge even after the attachment of the fiberoptics 100 to its accommodating notch 141.

The fiber optics 100 can be configured to emit the illumination light atthe distal end of the light-scattering element 120 to serve as anillumination light for a surgical procedure performed by the surgicaldevice 140.

FIG. 3B illustrates another possible embodiment, when the fiber optics100 is not attached to the surgical device 140. Instead, it is centrallyembedded in the ophthalmic surgical device 140 along its optical axis.Such implementations can have extremely small form factors, or outerdiameters, in some cases thinner than 40 gauge.

The fiber optics 100 can be combined with a wide array of ophthalmicsurgical devices 140, including an articulated laser probe, anilluminating chandelier, a trocar cannula, a balanced salt solution(BSS) infusion line, a nanofiber endo-illuminator, a forceps, aphaco-surgical device, a retinal-surgical device, or a vitreous-cutter.

In some embodiments of the fiber optics 100, the wide angle of the lightemission by the light-scattering element 120 can be characterized by theillumination intensity in air at 60 degrees off an optical axis of thefiber optics 100 being greater than 2% of the illumination intensity inair at 0 degrees, along the optical axis of the fiber optics 100.

In other embodiments, the wide angle emission can be characterized bythe illumination intensity in air at 30 degrees off an optical axis ofthe fiber optics 100 being greater than 50% of the illuminationintensity in air at 0 degrees, along the optical axis of the fiberoptics 100.

FIG. 4 illustrates steps of a general process 200 to manufacture fiberoptics 100. Step 202 can include providing the optical fiber 110,configured to receive illumination light at a proximal end from a lightsource.

Step 204 can include creating a light-scattering element 120 at a distalend of the optical fiber 110, configured to receive the illuminationlight from the optical fiber 110 at a proximal end and to emit theillumination light at a distal end in a wide angle. In some embodiments,the creating 204 step can involve creating a separate light-scatteringelement 120 and then affixing it to a distal end of the optical fiber110, as in the embodiments of FIGS. 5, 7, 9, 11, 15 and 19. In otherembodiments, the light-scattering element 120 can be created “at adistal end of the optical fiber” by creating it in a distal-end regionof the optical fiber 110 itself, as in the embodiments of FIGS. 13 and17, without necessarily affixing a separate element to the optical fiber110. In these latter embodiments, the term “the light-scattering elementis configured to receive the illumination light from the optical fiberat a proximal end” refers to the light propagating through the opticalfiber 110 and entering into the light-scattering element 120 that wascreated at, or in, the distal-end region of the optical fiber 110.

FIGS. 5A-D illustrate the first of several methods and embodiments ofhow to practice this generic process, and the first of severalembodiments of the fiber optics 100.

FIGS. 5A-D illustrate embodiments where the light-scattering element 120includes light-scattering particles 310. In some designs, thelight-scattering particles 310 can include TiO₂ particles or Al₂O₃particles. The light-scattering particles 310 can have a diameter in therange of 100 nm-5μ. In some cases, their diameters can be in the 10nm-50μ range. With diameters in these ranges, the light-scatteringparticles 310 can scatter the light effectively, enabling thelight-scattering element 120 to emit the illumination light at itsdistal end in a wide angle.

The light-scattering element 120 can include a host material or matrixsuch as PMMA, silica, borosilicate, or a poly-carbonate polymer. Thelight-scattering particles 310 can be embedded, distributed, or mixed inwith the host material or matrix.

The process 300 can include the following steps.

Step 302/FIG. 5A—(a) Providing a fiber preform 320 of a first diameterD1 that includes the host material, or matrix, and the light-scatteringparticles 310, embedded in the host material. The first diameter D1 ofthe preform 320 can be larger than 500μ, in other cases, larger than1,000μ.

Step 304/FIG. 5B—(b) Drawing the fiber preform 320 to an extended lengthto reach a second diameter D2 that is smaller than the first diameterD1. The second diameter D2 can be less than 500μ. In some cases, D2 canbe less than 150μ, in others, less than 50μ. Fibers with diameter of125μ are widely used in optical communications, thus using fibers ofsimilar diameter allows easy access to suitable starting fiber preformsand other materials as well as to fabrication technologies and tools.

Step 306/FIG. 5C—(c) Separating a portion of the drawn fiber preform 320for use as the light-scattering element 120. FIG. 5C shows with thedashed line that the end of the drawn fiber preform 320, when it reachedthe design or target second diameter D2, can be broken, cut or otherwiseseparated from the rest of the preform 320.

Step 308/FIG. 5D—(d) Affixing the separated light-scattering element 120to the distal end of the optical fiber 110 by bonding or by applying anadhesive material 330. Heat or chemical accelerators can be used asneeded.

FIG. 6 illustrates the same steps 302-308 of the process 300 in aflowchart.

FIGS. 7A-B illustrate a process 400 for making the fiber optics 100. Insome embodiments, this process 400 is designed to fabricate alight-scattering element 120 that includes a glass-ceramic micro-post420, including at least one of a ceramic, a glass ceramic, an immiscibleglass, a porous glass, opal glass, amorphous glass, an aerated glass, ora nanostructured glass. Here the phrase “glass-ceramic” broadly refersto micro-posts that can be made either of glass, or from ceramic, orfrom a glass-ceramic.

The process 400 can include the following steps.

Step 402/FIG. 7A—(a) Providing a glass-ceramic micro-post 420 comprisingthe glass-ceramic light-scattering element that includes a ceramic, aglass ceramic, an immiscible glass, a porous glass, opal glass,amorphous glass, an aerated glass, or a nanostructured glass. Theseembodiments do not necessarily utilize additional light-scatteringelements like micro-spheres or light-scattering particles. Instead, theyscatter the light by their own internal scatterers, such as the pores ofthe porous glass micro-post 420 embodiment.

Step 404/FIG. 7B—(b) Fusion-splicing the glass-ceramic micro-post 420 tothe optical fiber 110. In some cases, fusion-splicing can be alsoreferred to as fusing. The step 404 can further involve:

Step 406—(b1) Pulling an arc 430 between electrodes 440 across a gapformed by the optical fiber 110 and the glass-ceramic micro-post 420.The arc can heat up the fiber 110 as well as the glass-ceramicmicro-post 420 to facilitate the fusion splicing.

Step 408—(b2) Maintaining the arc 430 for a time sufficiently long tomake at least one of the facing surfaces of the optical fiber 110 andthe micro-post 420 malleable or molten: in general, ready for thefusion-splicing, or fusing.

Step 410—(b3) Pushing together the facing, molten or malleable surfacesof the optical fiber 110 and the micro-post 420 after discontinuing thearc 430. Once the arc 430 is discontinued, the facing surfaces startcooling off and the re-hardening of the malleable or molten surfaceregion, or regions, completes the fusion-splicing 404.

A distinguishing aspect of process 400 over process 300 is that inprocess 400 the light-scattering element 120 is attached to the fiber110 with its own, molten material, without the use of additionalmaterials, adhesive, or bonding agents. Such a design may reduce thebackscatter and overheating effects at the affixation surface. This canbe quite important, as overheating of the fiber optics 100 by thereceived illumination light heating the affixation surface between thefiber 110 and the light-scattering element 120 is a key factor limitingor even compromising the performance of today's fiber optics 100.

FIGS. 7C-D illustrate a related method 450. FIG. 7C illustrates step452—(a) Providing a glass-ceramic micro-post 420 comprising theglass-ceramic light-scattering element that includes a ceramic, a glassceramic, an immiscible glass, a porous glass, opal glass, amorphousglass, an aerated glass, or a nanostructured glass, in analogy to step402.

Step 454/FIG. 7D—(b) Fusing the glass-ceramic micro-post 420 to theoptical fiber 110 by applying a laser beam 460 to heat up at least oneof the facing surfaces of the optical fiber 110 and the glass-ceramicmicro-post 420. Visibly, step 454 is analogous to step 404, both heatingup a portion of at least one of the optical fiber 110 and theglass-ceramic micro-post 420. Thus, steps 404 or 454 involve creating amalleable or molten surface region in at least one of the optical fiber110 and the glass-ceramic micro-post 420, so that they can be fused, orfusion-spliced, together subsequently.

FIG. 8A is a flowchart of the steps 402-410 of the process 400.

FIG. 8B is a flowchart of the steps 452-454 of the process 450.

FIGS. 9A-D illustrate a process 500 for making embodiments of the fiberoptics 100. One shared characteristic of these embodiments is that thelight-scattering element 120 includes glass microspheres 510. A diameterof the glass microspheres 510 can be in the range of 0.5-10μ. Withdiameters in this range, the glass microspheres 510 can scatter thelight effectively, enabling the light-scattering element 120 to emit theillumination light at its distal end in a wide angle.

Steps of the process 500 can include the following steps.

Step 502/FIG. 9A—(a) Providing glass microspheres 510 in a polymermatrix liquid bath 520. Typically, the bath 520 is heated to an elevatedtemperature so that the polymer of the bath 520 is malleable,deformable, or even a melt, or fluid. The glass microspheres 510 can bedistributed or dispersed about evenly in the bath 520 with stirring, ormechanical, or other means.

Step 504/FIG. 9B—(b) Dipping the optical fiber 110 into the polymermatrix liquid bath 520. The optical fiber 110 can also be heated inembodiments where this brings further advantages.

Step 506/FIG. 9C—(c) Extracting the optical fiber 110 from the polymermatrix liquid bath 520. As the fiber 110 is pulled out, or extractedfrom the bath 520, an amount of the malleable but viscous polymerliquid, or polymer melt 520 can stick to the fiber 110. From thispolymer material, stuck onto the distal tip of the extracted fiber 110,the surface tension of the polymer liquid 520 can form a glass ball 530that includes the glass microspheres 510, embedded in the polymer melt520. The distal end, or the distal tip of the fiber 110 that includesthe sidewalls of the fiber 110, can be roughened for better mechanicalconnection between the fiber 110 and the glass ball 530.

Step 508/FIG. 9D—(d) Sintering the glass ball 530 via heating by a heatsource. The sintering 508 can reduce, and in some cases entirelyeliminate, the polymer melt content of the glass ball 530, leavingbehind only a densely packed assembly of the glass microspheres 510,sintered together by the heat. In some embodiments, a diameter of theglass ball 530 ball can be in the range of 10μ-1,000μ. In someembodiments, a diameter of the glass ball 530 ball can be in the rangeof 10μ-100μ.

In the glass ball 530, the glass microspheres 510 can be sinteredtogether to create a refractive index gradient between the glassmicrospheres and air-voids between the glass microspheres. Theserefractive index gradients and the air-voids can play an important rolein scattering the light.

FIG. 10 illustrates the step 502-508 of the process 500 in a flowchart.

FIGS. 11A-C illustrate a process 600 of fabricating the fiber optics100. In this embodiment, the light scattering is driven by bubblesformed inside a glass ball element when it is in a molten state. Thebubbles can be formed by aeration, that is, by guiding bubbles into themolten glass by a pump, for example.

The process 600 can include the following steps.

Step 602/FIG. 11A—(a) Forming micro-bubbles 610 in a molten glass bath620 by aeration. The glass in the bath can be melted by heating it aboveits melting temperature.

Step 604/FIG. 11B—(b) Dipping the optical fiber 110 into the moltenglass bath 620.

Step 606/FIG. 11C—(c) Extracting the optical fiber 110 from the moltenglass bath 620. As the fiber 110 is pulled out from the molten glassbath 620, the surface tension of the melt forms the glass ball 630 withaerated bubbles, at the distal end of the optical fiber 110.

FIG. 12 illustrates the steps 602-606 of the process 600 in a flowchart.

FIGS. 13A-B illustrate a process 700 to fabricate the fiber optics 100.In this process 700, the light scattering is driven by cracks, formed ina laser-cracked fiber-end region 701 of the optical fiber 110. As such,this process is somewhat different from some of the previous processes,as no light-scattering element 120 is formed separately and thensubsequently affixed to the optical fiber 110. Instead, the creating thelight-scattering element 120 involves forming the light-scatteringelement 120 in the distal-end region of the optical fiber 110.

The process 700 can include the following steps.

Step 702/FIG. 13A—(a) Scanning a laser beam across the distal end of theoptical fiber 110 to cause the formation of a laser-cracked fiber-end701 with a crack pattern 703, having air pockets, in the distal end ofthe fiber 110.

FIG. 13B illustrates that the crack pattern 703 can be a random surfacecrack pattern 703-1 on the distal end of the optical fiber, a regularsurface crack pattern 703-2 or 703-3 on the distal end of the opticalfiber, or a volume filling crack pattern 703-4 in a region at the distalend of the optical fiber.

For example, the regular pattern 703-3 can be a repeating regular arrayof dots, or bubbles, 705-i with a diameter D in the 10-500μ range, insome cases in the 50-100μ range. These dots/bubbles can be separated by1-100μ, in some cases by 1-5μ. These dots 705-i can form a dot-pattern705. The dots 705-i can be created by sequentially directing, orscanning, a pulsed laser beam to an array, or pattern, of points, wherethe beam either causes local heating that directly cracks the opticalfiber 110, or the beam forms bubbles that expand and eventually crackthe optical fiber 110. In either case, scanning the pulsed laser beamcan create a light-scattering element 120 in the distal-end region ofthe optical fiber 110 that includes a laser-patterned, or laser-cracked,fiber-end 701 with a refractive index pattern caused by the pattern ofdots, or bubbles.

FIG. 14 illustrates the process 700 in a flowchart. This chart includesthe optional additional step 704—(b) Sealing the air pockets of thecrack pattern 703. The air pockets often form in the cracks andcontribute or even dominate the light scattering. Accordingly, it isimportant to preserve these air pockets even when the fiber optics 100is inserted into ophthalmic tissue with a high liquid content. Suchbiological environments are often modeled with a “balanced saltsolution”, or BSS. Therefore, process 700 can include the additionalstep to seal the crack pattern 703 either by depositing a sealing layersuch as an adhesive, a silica, or a coat, or by scanning the laser beamacross the surface at a lower power, or lower power density so that itonly melts the glass surface, thereby sealing the cracks.

FIGS. 15A-B illustrate a process 800 for making the fiber optics 100.With process 800 the light-scattering element 120 is formed by aphotolithographic process in the following steps.

Step 802/FIG. 15A—(a) Providing a photoresist layer 820 on the distalend of the optical fiber 110. This photoresist layer 820 can bedeposited, evaporated, or affixed to the optical fiber 110 in a varietyof ways.

Step 804/FIG. 15A—(b) Exposing the photoresist layer 820 to a specklelight pattern. The speckle light pattern can be provided by shining alight or laser light through a diffuser, a diffuse medium, an amorphousmedium, a grating, crossed optical patterns, or through other suitablemeans. The speckle light is held fixed for a period of time sufficientto induce the photochemical processes needed to affect the properexposure in the photoresist layer 820.

Step 806/FIG. 15A—(c) Washing off unexposed photoresist. This stepreveals a pattern formed by the exposed photoresist, enabling the next,photolithographic step of etching.

Step 808/FIG. 15A—(d) Etching the distal end of the optical fiber 110 inhydrofluoric acid, or in a comparably strong acid, to impart a surfacepattern 830 with air-pockets to the etched distal end of the opticalfiber 110. The etched surface pattern 830 will serve as thelight-scattering element 120 in these embodiments.

The surface pattern 830 can be completely random, or pseudo-random. Insome cases, a more regular pattern may be preferred, in which caseinstead of using a speckle light pattern in step 804, a regular lightpattern may be used. The photolithographic steps 802-808 are very wellknown and therefore are not illustrated in individual Figures.

Step 810/FIG. 15B—(e) Laser-fusing a silica end-cap 840 to the distalend of the optical fiber 110 to seal the air-pockets. As before, sincein some embodiments the air getting into the etched surface pattern 830plays an important role in scattering the illumination light, it can beuseful to seal the air pockets of the surface pattern 830, so that theyare protected in a balanced salt solution (BSS).

FIG. 16 illustrates the steps 802-810 of the process 800 in a flowchart.

In some embodiments, the process 800 can be performed as a batchprocess. This can involve aligning and arranging hundreds or eventhousands of fibers 110 in a tight bundle, or batch, held togethereither by a machine-member, or by a manufacturing sheath, and thenperforming the photolithographic (“recording”) steps 802-808 and thelaser-fusing step 810 on the bundle, in essence simultaneously on allthe fibers. Such batch processing can increase the yield of thefabrication process 800 dramatically. An analogous batch processing willbe illustrated in FIG. 17D.

FIGS. 17A-D illustrate a process 900 for making the fiber optics 100.

Step 902/FIG. 17A—(a) Providing a hard tool 910 with a nanostructuredtool surface relief pattern 920. The hard tool 910 can be made of steel,or other hard material, considerably harder than the glass material ofthe fiber 110.

The tool surface relief pattern 920 can be formed by several differentmethods. One of them is to use a photolithographic process to transfer aspeckle laser light pattern onto the surface of the hard tool with thehelp of a photoresist layer that was exposed to the speckle light andsubsequently etched.

Step 904/FIG. 17B—(b) Pressing the tool surface relief pattern 920 ofthe hard tool 910 onto the distal end of the optical fiber 110 to form afiber surface relief pattern 930 on the distal end of the optical fiber110 by molding or hot stamping. In this process step the hard tool 910can be warmed up to heat the distal end of the fiber 110 when pressedonto it, or the distal end of the fiber 110 can be directly heated. Ineither case, the heating will make the fiber 110 more malleable anddeformable and thus helps the transfer of the tool surface reliefpattern 920 onto the distal end of the fiber to form the fiber surfacerelief pattern 930. The heating can be performed by applying a heatsource or a radiation source. Once the formation of the fiber surfacerelief pattern 930 is completed, the fiber 110 can be removed orseparated from the hard tool 910.

Step 906/FIG. 17C—(c) Laser-fusing a silica end-cap 940 to the distalend of the optical fiber 110 to seal air pockets of the fiber surfacerelief pattern 930. This step 906 can be optional.

FIG. 17D illustrates that the providing step 902 and the pressing step904 can be performed as a batch process. As also described in relationto the process 800, this batch process can involve aligning andarranging hundreds or even thousands of fibers 110 in a tight bundle,array, or batch, held together either my a machine-member, or by amanufacturing sheath 912, and then performing the steps 902-904 on thebundle, in essence simultaneously on all the fibers 110. Such batchprocessing can increase the yield of the fabrication process 900dramatically.

FIG. 18 illustrates the process 900 in a flowchart.

FIGS. 19A-F illustrate a process 1000 for making the fiber optics 100.The process 1000 involves forming a cured patterned adhesive 1070,UV-cured at the distal end of the fiber 100 by the following steps.

Step 1002/FIG. 19A—(a) Providing a hard tool 1020 with a nanostructuredtool surface relief pattern 1030. The hard tool 1020 can include steelor other hard materials.

Step 1004/FIG. 19B—(b) Pressing the tool surface relief pattern 1030 ofthe hard tool 1020 onto a first side of a UV-transparent plastic wafer1040 by molding or hot stamping to form a wafer surface relief pattern1050 on the UV-transparent plastic wafer 1040.

Step 1006/FIG. 19C—(c) Depositing a UV-curable adhesive 1060 on thewafer surface relief pattern 1050 on the UV-transparent wafer 1040.

Step 1008/FIG. 19D—(d) Pressing the distal end of the optical fiber 110against the wafer surface relief pattern 1050 with the UV-curableadhesive 1060.

Step 1010/FIG. 19D—(e) Curing the UV-curable adhesive 1060 by radiatinga UV beam through the UV-transparent wafer 1040 from a second side ofthe UV-transparent wafer 1040 opposite the first side of theUV-transparent wafer. This curing step solidifies the UV-curableadhesive 1050, and thus the wafer surface relief pattern 1050 imparts asolidified, or cured, relief pattern onto the UV-curable adhesive 1060.

Step 1012/FIG. 19E—(f) Lifting the optical fiber 110 with a lifted curedpatterned adhesive 1070 from the UV-transparent wafer 1040. The curingcreates a bond between a portion of the UV-curable adhesive 1050 and theoptical fiber 110 that is strong enough to lift a portion 1070 of theUV-curable adhesive 1060 away from the UV-transparent wafer 1040 andfrom the rest of the UV-curable adhesive 1060.

As was the case of processes 800, and 900, process 1000 can be executedas a batch process, thus accelerating the process 1000 and increasingits yield dramatically. Beyond the specifically discussed cases ofprocesses 800-1000, all previously described processes 200-700 can bealso performed as a batch process.

FIG. 20 illustrates the steps 1002-1012 of the process 1000 in aflowchart.

While this specification contains many specifics, these should not beconstrued as limitations on the scope of the invention or of what can beclaimed, but rather as descriptions of features specific to particularembodiments. Certain features that are described in this specificationin the context of separate embodiments can also be implemented incombination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features thatare described in the context of a single embodiment can also beimplemented in multiple embodiments separately or in any suitablesubcombination. Moreover, although features can be described above asacting in certain combinations and even initially claimed as such, oneor more features from a claimed combination can in some cases be excisedfrom the combination, and the claimed combination can be directed to asubcombination or variation of a subcombination.

The invention claimed is:
 1. An illumination fiber optics, comprising:an optical fiber, configured to receive illumination light at a proximalend from a light source; and a light-scattering element, at a distal endof the optical fiber, configured to receive the illumination light fromthe optical fiber at a proximal end of the light-scattering element andto emit the illumination light at a distal end of the light-scatteringelement in a wide angle; wherein the light-scattering element is createdby: (a) providing glass microspheres in a polymer matrix liquid bath;(b) dipping the optical fiber into the polymer matrix liquid bath; (c)extracting the optical fiber from the polymer matrix liquid bath,whereby surface tension forms a glass ball, including the glassmicrospheres, at the distal end of the optical fiber; and (d) sinteringthe glass ball with the microspheres via heating by a heat source,wherein sintering the glass ball reduces a polymer melt content of theglass ball.
 2. The fiber optics of claim 1, wherein: an outer diameterof the fiber optics is less than 500 microns.
 3. The fiber optics ofclaim 1, wherein: an outer diameter of the fiber optics is less than 150microns.
 4. The fiber optics of claim 1, wherein: an outer diameter ofthe fiber optics is less than 50 microns.
 5. The fiber optics of claim1, wherein: an outer diameter of the fiber optics is less than 50microns at a distal end; and an outer diameter of the fiber optics isgreater than 50 microns at a proximal end.
 6. The fiber optics of claim1, wherein: the optical fiber and the light-scattering element aremanufactured without using a manufacturing jacket.
 7. The fiber opticsof claim 1, wherein: the fiber optics is attached to an ophthalmicsurgical device at an accommodation notch in an aligned manner,configured to emit the illumination light at the distal end of thelight-scattering element to serve as an illumination light for asurgical procedure performed by the surgical device.
 8. The fiber opticsof claim 7, wherein: the ophthalmic surgical device has an outerdiameter thinner than 23 gauge; and the attached fiber optics does notincrease one of a form factor and an overall diameter of the ophthalmicsurgical device.
 9. The fiber optics of claim 7, wherein: the surgicaldevice is one of an articulated laser probe, an illuminating chandelier,a trocar cannula, a balanced salt solution (BSS) infusion line, ananofiber endo-illuminator, a forceps, a phaco-surgical device, aretinal-surgical device, and a vitreous-cutter.
 10. The fiber optics ofclaim 1, wherein: the fiber optics is centrally embedded in anophthalmic surgical device along an optical axis of the ophthalmicsurgical device, wherein an outer diameter of the ophthalmic surgicaldevice is thinner than 40 gauge.
 11. The fiber optics of claim 1,wherein: the wide angle is characterized in that an illuminationintensity in air at 60 degrees off an optical axis of the fiber opticsis greater than 2% of the illumination intensity in air at 0 degrees,along the optical axis of the fiber optics.
 12. The fiber optics ofclaim 1, wherein: the wide angle is characterized in that anillumination intensity in air at 30 degrees off an optical axis of thefiber optics is greater than 50% of the illumination intensity in air at0 degrees, along the optical axis of the fiber optics.
 13. The fiberoptics of claim 1, wherein: a diameter of the glass microspheres is inthe range of 0.5μ-10μ; and the light-scattering element is a glass ball,including the microspheres, with a diameter in the range of 10μ-1,000μ.14. The fiber optics of claim 13, wherein: the light-scattering elementis a glass ball, including the microspheres, with a diameter in therange of 10μ-100μ.
 15. The fiber optics of claim 1, wherein: the glassmicrospheres are sintered together to create a refractive index gradientbetween the glass microspheres and air-voids between the glassmicrospheres.
 16. An illumination fiber optics for an ophthalmic device,prepared by a process comprising the steps of: providing an opticalfiber, configured to receive illumination light at a proximal end from alight source; and creating a light-scattering element at a distal end ofthe optical fiber, configured to receive the illumination light from theoptical fiber at a proximal end of the light-scattering element and toemit the illumination light at a distal end of the light-scatteringelement in a wide angle, wherein creating the light-scattering elementcomprises: (a) providing glass microspheres in a polymer matrix liquidbath; (b) dipping the optical fiber into the polymer matrix liquid bath;(c) extracting the optical fiber from the polymer matrix liquid bath,whereby surface tension forms a glass ball, including the glassmicrospheres, at the distal end of the optical fiber; and (d) sinteringthe glass ball with the microspheres via heating by a heat source,wherein sintering the glass ball reduces a polymer melt content of theglass ball.